In 1889 Murray Brothers erected Parramatta’s
first shopping emporium on the corner of Church and Macquarie Streets at a cost
of 10,000 pounds which supplied all trades.
Household items were also sold i.e. furniture and furnishing, crockery,
pianos, organs, clothes and jams. In 1890s Murray Brothers received a
Certificate of Merit for colonial made furniture by Royal Agriculture Society.
During 1903 Murray Brothers was divided into
two companies, Murray Brothers Ltd. and Murrays Limited, maintaining separate
but adjacent businesses. Drapery and
furniture was under the control of Murray Brothers and the hardware section
under the control of Murrays Limited. W.
R. Murray became sole proprietor of Murray Brothers. The plumbing section was taken over by T. H.
Harvey and E. N. Murray and became Harvey and Sons Pty. Ltd.
During the Second World War Murray Brothers
donated 1000 pounds to the war effort.
A new store was built on the north west corner
of Church and Macquarie Streets after the National School was demolished in
c1924. Murray Brothers acquired extra
property in August 1958 at the rear and a four storey building was erected with
a Marsden Street frontage. Fire guttered
the furniture factory at the rear of the store damaging stores of furniture and
expensive cabinet making machinery. Damage bill running into many thousands of
pounds.
In 1947, Murray Brothers manufactured their
last consignment of Blind and Curtain.
Also that year the business was purchased by Burns Philp and Co. Ltd.
1st May 1954, Murray Brothers
purchased the site from the Church of England for 250,000 pounds. A store was built on the site while the land
was still under the lease from the church.
Murray Brothers expanded to become Parramatta’s
oldest and highly respected departmental store with the policy of supplying the
needs of residents in and around Parramatta. Murray Brothers closed their doors
in 1978 after 102 years of trading in Parramatta. They stayed in the Parramatta location not
spreading their wings into other suburbs.
References:
- T Kass, C Liston and John McClymont, Parramatta: A Past Revealed, Parramatta City Council, Parramatta, 1996
- Murray Brothers, Vertical File, Local Studies and Family History Library, Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre
- Photos from , Local Studies and Family History Library, Parramatta Heritage and Visitor Information Centre
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